I was blown away. Honestly, I didn't think, when receiving this book in the mail, that it would be so…wow. I'm sorry, as a reviewer, my descriptive skills are rather poor at the minute; I'm still recoiling from the ending. My adjectives and any power over words, which I possessed, were left in the book when the baby was mauled to (fake) death. Yes, you read that right. It's a sick, gory book. Sometimes overly dramatic, too shocking, but overall it didn't fail to impress. I can't quite place Grymm in any particular genre, apart from (obviously) fiction. It is mostly definitely horror but it also has elements of a mystery, of mythology and adventure. And if it was to be classified as purely young adult's horror then it is up there with the best of its kind. Keith Austin deserves to take his place, up there with Stephen King and Neil Gaiman.

So, I've gotten some of those extravagant praises out of my system, lets move onto the plot. It follows the eventful summer of 12 year old Jacob and 14 year old Mina and the adventures which are to be had when they move to the dusty, distant mining town of Grymm. Specific locations are not mentioned, but the town of Grymm is in a place known simply as the 'Great Desert'. To quote from the blurb, it is the town where there are 'maggots in the milkshake…the butcher is bloodthirsty'.

Strange things are going on in Grymm, and every character is more vicious or frightening than the last. Particular favorites out of the characters would have to include Cleaver Flay, who is obsessive about cleanliness and prefers to amputate limbs rather than kill a person and gothic Mina, who realizes her dark clothing and layers of makeup aren't just the perfect point for Jacob to tease his step-sister about, they just aren't suitable for summer in Grymm.

Any points that become too macabre, however, are never traumatizing. For one thing, the recommended reading age for the book is 12+, though I'm sure brave ten-year-olds could give it a try. Since the target group isn't likely to be as easily scared, the author is given more freedom in his choice of adjectives - even while victims are being baked in pies, Austin writes with almost disturbing geniality, amplifying everything, so to speak, which makes it more cartoony and less serious.

Constant banter between Jacob and Mina entertains throughout, whilst they try to solve the mystery of Grymm; why the cheap rings which arrived on the doorstep when they moved in are worn by all workers, and who their real foe is, the demonic man who controls the souls of Grymm's inhabitants.

Although I'm greedy, I don't know whether I would want a sequel to this book. This is one of my methods by which I judge a book, whether I would want to read about the characters again. And although I fell head over heels for most inhabitants of Grymm, the ending is so concise and perfect, there is no need for a continuation. All loose strings were knotted together with a luxurious flourish and the bow, which wrapped it all up, enhanced our enjoyment of this marvelous box of treats. Do buy the book, it is worth it, and bear in mind thiswarning: it's the kind of book where you want to savor every page, because it ends way too quickly.

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